It's almost Christmas!

Anyone else glad it's almost over? I am pretty Christmas'd out already. I am looking forward to seeing my daughter unwrap all of her presents, though.

One More WoW Achievements Article

I know, I know, I'm really cranking them out today, aren't I? My World of Warcraft Quest Achievements guide just went up as well. Check it out!

World of Warcraft's new achievement system is a fantastic and compelling addition to Wow's already addicting gameplay. Use this quick and easy to read guide to easily obtain all of the WoW achievements you're searching for.
World of Warcraft Quests Achievements Guide

Download the City of Heroes Free Trial

One more article I recently published. This one's instructions for downloading and playing the City of Heroes free trial. It's an awesome game and I whole-heartedly encourage anyone who's interested to check out the trial.

Anyone with an interest in superhero MMORPG City of Heroes would do well to check out the game's free 14-day trial. Follow these easy instructions to register and download the City of Heroes game client. Download City of Heroes Free Trial

World of Warcraft Achievements Guide

Hey there, two new articles from me about WoW's Achievement system. It's pretty fun (yet useless) and I enjoy chasing down achievements as much as the next guy, here's a couple guides to the "General" achievements.

World of Warcraft's new "achievement" system is an addictive and interesting new component to WoW's already fantastic gameplay. Here's an overview of the first part of the WoW general achievements.
World of Warcraft "General" Achievements, Part 1

World of Warcraft "General Achievements, Part 2

Best MMORPG List: The Top Fantasy, Comic Book, Science Fiction, and FPS Games in the MMO World

Another new article! This one's a list of the top four MMO games in their respective genres. Check it out if you are a fan of online games.

Looking for the best Fantasy MMORPG, Comic Book MMORPG, Science Fiction MMORPG, or MMOFPS available? These four games are the pinnacles of their respective genres. Each is a high-quality example of the best the MMO market has to offer. The Best MMO Games Online

World of Warcraft Rogue Guide: Class Overview

Hey everyone. More WoW goodness is coming your way. My latest article on Bright Hub is a World of Warcraft Rogue overview. I'm thinking of writing a few more articles about the class, but haven't decided yet. Check it out!

The rogue is one of the most potent damage dealers in World of Warcraft. This introduction to the class should answer the questions of anyone considering creating a WoW rogue. World of Warcraft Rogue Overview

It's Snowing!

Totally useless post, I know but I had to tell someone that it's snowing here, even if it is the faceless mass of the internet.

Unfortunately, I have to drive to Salem today. Should be interesting with all this frozen precipitation. Oh well, good times.

Wish me luck.

In a Increasingly-Crowded Genre, Which is the Best MMORPG?

I don't know if it's obvious yet, but I really like World of Warcraft. I honestly think it's the best MMORPG of all time. Here's an article I wrote about it, using sales numbers and critical scores to back up my point.

No other game in the history of MMORPGs has shattered sales records, garnered critical acclaim, and won the hearts of individual gamers the way World of Warcraft has. WoW is truly the best the MMORPG genre has to offer. World of Warcraft is the Best MMORPG

Should Players Buy World of Warcraft Gold? Is WoW gold worth the price?

There are multitudes of sites on the internet offering to sell wow gold to anyone willing to buy it, but is the advantage really worth the risk? Should gamers buy WoW gold? Is buying World of Warcraft gold worth the risk?

World of Warcraft Versus City of Heroes

So I'm writing for a new website called Bright Hub. It seems like a much better place than the others I've published for. My first article is a comparison between CoH and WoW. Check it out, let me know what you think...

With so many excellent MMORPG games on the market, finding just one that's worth the monthly fee can be difficult. World of Warcraft and City of Heroes are two excellent choices, but one is clearly superior. City of Heroes Versus World of Warcraft

Saints Row 2 Weapon and Ability Unlock Guide

This quick guide to weapon and ability unlocks in the Xbox 360 and PS3 action game Saints Row 2 will help gamers succeed in the city of Stillwater. Saints Row 2 Weapons and Abilities

Best Nintendo Wii Games: These Three Video Games are the Best the Wii Console has to Offer

Nintendo's Wii console is among the most popular of all time. There are a lot of crap games produced for it, however, by people attempting to capitalize on the system's popularity. Fortunately, these three games are the absolute best and none of them will disappoint. I promise

The Nintendo Wii is the most popular console in America. These three games are the best available for the system. All are excellent choices for any gamer. Read More...

Fable 2 Augment Tips and Money Making Strategies: A Guide to Increased Damage and Easy Gold in the Xbox 360 RPG

Fable 2 is one of my favorite new games for the Xbox 360. I've played quite a few hours now, and I thought I should pass along some of the tactics I've found to be very effective.

This easy to follow guide will increase a character's combat effectiveness and show players how to make large amounts of gold quickly and easily. Read More...

Best Xbox 360 Accessories: Essential Add-ons for Xbox Live, Solo, and Multiplayer Gaming

These five essential accessories are perfect additions to any gift or new console purchase for anyone wishing to mazimize all of the Xbox 360 console's amazing features. Read More...

Holiday Gift Ideas for Gamers Xbox 360 Games - Video Game Gifts for Fans of Action RPG Music or Online Games

These five well-reviewed games would make excellent gifts for any Xbox 360 gamer. Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Rock Band 2, Fable 2, and Left 4 Dead are all great choices. Read More...

Best Xbox 360 Games Under Twenty Dollars - These Budget Titles Offer Great Value and Cheap Prices

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for that Xbox 360 gamer on your list? Looking for something inexpensive yet exhilarating? Check out this list of the 5 best xbox 360 games available for under twenty dollars.

Xbox 360 owners on a budget should consider these five great low priced games. All five offer fantastic value for little money. Read More...

Fable 2 Legendary Weapon Locations

There are quite a few Legendary Weapons in Fable 2, and not all of them are easy to find. Here's an easy-to-use guide to finding and acquiring them all.

Locations for all of Fable 2's Legendary Weapons: Calavera, Chopper, Daichi, Hammerthyst, Maelstrom, Rising Sun, Wreckager, Enforcer, Perforator, Rammer, and Red Dragon. Read More...

How to Open the Fable 2 Demon Doors - Hints and Tips to Locate and Enter Each Door in the Xbox 360 RPG

Stuck on one particular demon door? Looking for information on how to open them all? Look no further!

Discover how to open the Bloodstone, Bower Lake, Bowerstone Cemetery, Brightwood, Fairfax Gardens, Oakfield, Rookridge, Westcliff, and Wraithmarsh demon doors in Fable 2. Read More...

How to Find all the Fallout 3 Bobbleheads

Looking for all the stat and skill bonuses to be gained by collecting all the Vault Tech Bobbleheads in Fallout 3? Here's a quick and easy guide to finding them all.

Easily locate Fallout 3 Bobbleheads that grant bonuses to skills including Sneak, Science, Repair and Medicine as well as stats including Agility, Charisma, and Luck. Read more...

Final Blog: Evaluation...

Overall, my favorite part of the class was definitely the blog. It was actually kind of fun do to assignments in this format and I've enjoyed it so much I am considering starting a personal blog just to see what happens. I learned a lot about the set up and maintenance of blogs, information I never knew before, and now I definitely feel comfortable running one and putting the fact that I have experience with them on a resume. A lot of the jobs I've looked into have an online writing component and I think this experience will be invaluable. Without the class to force me to do so, I doubt I would have ever just jumped into a blog, so I think the assignment as a whole was a very positive part of the class.
I liked the format of the discussion board interactions as well. I enjoyed the fact that we were encouraged to bring our personal experiences and opinions to the board, rather than being encouraged to simply repeat what the book says just to prove we've read it.

The assignments were interesting and enjoyable for the most part. The internet abstinence assignment was particularly eye-opening for me. I honestly had no idea how much I depend on it and forcing me to reject it and then write about the experience has made me realize it in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I think I have a whole new perspective now thanks to the assignment.

The survey and letter assignments were probably my least favorites. They weren’t particularly difficult, I just found it difficult to arrange times for my interviews and to force myself to sit down and write an actual letter. I’ve avoided handwriting just about everything I can since I got my first computer around age 11.

I really enjoyed the way that this class is so integrated with the subject material. So many classes seem to completely ignore the subject being studied, but this one embraces the internet and cyber communication with open arms. I honestly never thought I’d get to do an assignment about Myspace or Facebook, or get credit for joining a discussion group and then writing about my experience.

This class has really opened my eyes to the different methods of communication and the advantages and disadvantages of both. I never really thought about the downside of our ease of access to information and lightning-fast communication. It all seems so convenient and advantageous that we never really stop to consider what we’re giving up. The letter assignment and the internet abstinence really made this clear to me.

I’d say definitely keep the abstinence, myspace, and internet community assignments. I thought all three of them did a good job of forcing us as students to consider the issues and concepts in the texts and how they apply to our own lives.

If I were to cut something out, I’d probably remove the letter assignment simply because I think it’s the one from which I learned the least. Everyone seemed to find exactly what they expected. The younger generations depend far more on the internet than the elder, mainly because the younger people grew up with the technology and are consequently more familiar with it than those who had already-established routines when the technologies became widespread. I definitely learned from the assignment, it just wasn’t as eye-opening to me as the others during the term.

The wild card assignment was a great one, as well. Definitely keep it in. It was interesting to read what people chose to do.

Wild Card: An Internet Superhero

My former roommate is a remarkable man, especially in the context of his uses of the internet as it reflects his personality. (Let me just establish right away that I am not attempting to disguise some personal confession by pretending that this blog is about someone else. He does exist, and he is not me.)

Let’s call my ex-roommate Randy. Randy has never been what you’d call an assertive man. He talks very little to people in person and he’s had very few girlfriends in his life. Randy likes video games, comic books, and Japanese anime. He’s a definite introvert who spends most of his time in the house, rarely going out even with friends unless there’s a new movie in the theatre that he wants to see or a video game that he wishes to buy.

Basically, Randy is shy, and pretty much what most people would call a geek. He fits neatly into many of the stereotypes associated with geekdom. I don’t include this to insult him, there’s nothing wrong with being a geek, but just so that I can make it clear exactly what kind of person we’re talking about.

The reason that Randy is blog-worthy is the transformation he undergoes when he goes online. I’ve spent my fair share of time playing various online games like World of Warcraft with him, and if I hadn’t been in the same room with him while we played, I would probably find myself unable to believe that my geeky roommate was capable of the things he manages while he’s online.

Randy was a co-leader in our World of Warcraft guild, which is remarkable enough for someone like him, but he also was the guild’s main raid leader. For those that don’t know, a raid is a group of up to 40 players who work together to take down some impossibly huge monster. Leading raids takes knowledge, confidence, and a level of sternness I never thought Randy could possibly possess.

He would lead these raids over voice chat, his voice clear and strong and authoritative in a way I’d never heard in real life. This is a guy who has never been able to cancel trial offers he’s signed up for because he’s too shy to talk to an operator, but online he’s capable of directing 40 people, shooting down opposition, and generally establishing his authority night after night.

The raids were just a small part of what Randy manages to accomplish online that he is unable to do in real life. He recently flew out to New York to meet a girl he’s been “dating” online for over a year. He barely even acknowledges women in real life, but online he’s somehow managed to open himself up enough to maintain a relationship with a very attractive young woman.

This is the power of the internet. It allows those whose shyness might otherwise prevent them from succeeding to achieve unbelievable things. It’s not that Randy doesn’t have the ability to confront people or make decisions; it’s just that the stress of face-to-face interaction renders him unable to do so without electronic mediation. Safe behind a computer screen, he’s a virtual general Patton.

There are definitely bad things about the anonymity that computer-mediated communication provides, like loudmouth morons who are free to slander anyone they wish mercilessly without fear of consequences, but there is a positive side to it as well. I have known Randy for nearly 10 years now, and I’d often worried about his prospects for the future. Marriage is difficult to attain when you’re incapable of speaking to the opposite sex, for example. Now, thanks to the internet, Randy has as good a chance of getting married as every other lonely guy out there. Maybe an even better one because of the limitless access to people all over the world that the internet provides. CMC is definitely a double-edged sword, but it’s important to realize that both sides can be beneficial.

Survey Says...

For this week’s blog, I interviewed my girlfriend, age 25, my mother, age 54, and my aunt, age 61. I emailed the questions to my mother and girlfriend, as they are both frequent internet users. For my aunt’s responses, I had to interview her in person, as she has neither email nor internet access.

My girlfriend primarily uses the internet for checking email a few times a day, shopping, finding movie times, and checking Myspace. She isn’t comfortable with the internet in general and tends to avoid blogs, chat rooms, and the like. She is wary of talking to “creepy” people online. She thinks that technology has absolutely changed her life and loves the convenience of having such quick access to information (actor’s pages on IMDB.com, for example) but hates that she often finds herself wasting hours online accomplishing nothing. She has similar feelings about television. She uses the internet, but not as much as her friends do. She is frequently frustrated with technology and often feels that she dislikes the internet because of it.

My mother uses the internet at home for email and shopping online, as well as to make travel reservations. She uses it more extensively at work, where she is the Payroll Supervisor. At her job, she uses the internet to contact banks, lawyers, insurance companies, and anyone else her job requires her to get in touch with. She said it is much easier to email to get a question answered than to “play phone tag all day.” She also uses it for IRS payroll forms, state and federal tax information, worker’s compensation claims, and online banking. She is very comfortable with the internet, but is wary of emails that come from sources she doesn’t recognize. The IT department at her employer makes sure that the company’s spambusting software is up to date. Mom “loves” the internet because it has made her job much easier by eliminating a lot of paperwork and expediting processes.

My aunt has practically no experience with the internet, or computers for that matter. She’s been a waitress for nearly 40 years so her job has not required her to use much technology. She works at a local family-owned restaurant where they take orders on paper pads and hand them to the cooks; there is no computerized ordering system. About as close as she gets to a computer is the credit card machine at work, which she still admits she sometimes finds frustrating. She’s never really had any interest in owning a computer or getting on the internet. She’s heard a lot of bad things about porn sites and child predators. The technology has not changed her personal life very much, though she sometimes finds it hard to get in touch with a company or take care of business when her only option is to do so online. She recently renewed her food handler’s certification and I basically had to ask her the questions and put the answers in for her, she had no idea how to do so.

In chapter 8, Wood and Smith discuss fragmentation, or the loss of cohesion within a community when members aren’t all communicating in the same ways. I definitely see how this kind of divide can develop. My mother and my aunt are only six years apart, but I tend to think of my mother as more modern and intelligent because she can utilize the forms of communication I am most familiar with. I tend to see my aunt’s inability to do so as a sign of age or disconnectedness. She seems almost an entire generation older than my mother because she clings to forms of communication that seem archaic to me. I almost feel as though she is incapable of learning to use the internet, it seems like an indecipherable concept to her.

I think the degree to which one is required to use technology is a huge differentiating factor in how people feel about it. Judging by their interview responses, my mother seems far more savvy than my girlfriend who is 30 years younger simply because she is forced to use the internet at her job on a daily basis. By comparison, my aunt’s job requires almost no interaction with technology, so she has been able to remain ignorant without negative consequences.

I wonder if my mother and my aunt’s circumstances were reversed, would I still see my mother as the smarter of the two? It’s interesting how people’s use of technology influences the way we see them.

Online Communities and Social Interaction

For this assignment, I chose to join a forum without a specific topic, more of a general discussion board. I have a friend or two who are members there and they’re always encouraging me to join, so I signed up to see what all the fuss was about.

This particular forum has a very tight-knit group of regulars that it’s difficult to break into. I had it easy, simply by being introduced to the group by one of the established regulars, but for other “newbs,” the place isn’t terribly friendly. There’s definitely a period of hazing or initiation that one has to pass through in order to be accepted. Each user’s post count is displayed on each of their messages, and those with very small numbers are often ignored, and sometimes even flamed (that is, insulted) unmercifully. It’s definitely not an environment that is welcoming to a newcomer. There are some reasons for hostility toward those with low post counts, however. Many new accounts are created for the sole purpose of posting advertising or referral links, so until a new person establishes that they’re there to contribute to the discussion, not advertise for some porn site, they’re generally kept at arm’s length.

The forum also has a “reputation” system. Each user has a “rep” meter that is displayed below their name on each post. The meter is a series of green or red bars that show how much positive or negative rep a person has received. Rep is given by other members of the site. Those with high post counts and a lot of positive rep are able to add or subtract the most rep from other users. Users give positive rep for content they enjoy or when a user posts a particularly funny quip, and they give negative rep for spammers, rude people, or anything they simply disagree with.

The rep system figures prominently in the social component of the site. I knew that I had been accepted when several of my posts garnered positive rep from established members of the site. Conversely, users who post insulting comments or disagree with established forum tenets end up drowning in negative rep quite quickly.

As far as dispute resolution, matters involving explicit rule violations (posting referral links, spamming, threats against a member, posting adult material in a non-adult forum) are usually taken care of fairly quickly by one of the site’s moderators. Users can report posts that violate rules to bring them to the attention of a moderator. Non-rule violations, like rude comments or any behavior that runs contrary to the smooth functioning of the forum, are taken care of in the court of public opinion. Once someone runs afoul of the majority of the site’s users, they are quickly ostracized and insulted. Reputation also disappears at an astonishing rate. Those stupid enough to fight back end up with private messages filled with objectionable material.

There are threads of the forum devoted exclusively to lengthy flame wars between two people or groups of people who disagree. There are also threads devoted to flaming specific people who irritate certain members.

This type of social setting is one that is only possible on the internet. It’s always amazed me that social outcasts, the people who are so often clamoring for equal treatment and speaking against social discrimination, are the first ones to become exclusive and form cliques when they are in the majority. The anonymity of the internet is a kind of equalizing force. Online, the stereotypical nerd’s superior intellect makes him the bully and gives him the power to punish others socially.

It is amazing, though, the friendships that some of the people who post on this forum have formed. Many have made trips to visit one another, even those in other countries. Many count the site’s users among their best friends. It’s almost impossible to imagine how any of these friendships could have ever been formed without the internet.

I wonder, though, if the internet were not available, would these people actually go out and meet people locally or would they be stuck at home forever? Is the internet their social outlet because it’s easy, or because it’s the only way they can connect with the outside world?

Postman worries about technology replacing other forms of interaction and argues that we lose something when computers become our sole source for information or interaction. It’s true, something is lost when people communicate solely online, at least when it becomes a substitute for actual human interaction. But what about people with overwhelming social phobias? People for whom online interaction may be the only way they are capable of forming human connections? Isn’t it possible that for them, replacing face to face communication with CMC is a good thing? It may be a stepping stone into a larger world for them, by helping them gain the confidence to actually go outside and meet an actual person.

Dissecting My Myspace.

I’ve had a myspace profile for a couple years now, so for this assignment I am going to attempt to take an objective look at it.

First, a quick rundown of my profile’s elements. My picture changes frequently, but it’s currently a shot from the fourth of July barbeque I attended with my family. My one-year-old daughter is sitting on my shoulders smiling and my eyes are focused upward. On my face is a bemused expression. My current headline is “Few things are more frightening to the establishment than a punk with an education,” a line I came up with while I was driving the other day. My current profile song is “Infected” by my favorite band Bad Religion. I have a slideshow with pictures of my daughter from birth to just recently. There is a video of me performing improv and a virtual cat you can feed and play with. I’ve also got the standard education and interests sections along with my top twelve friends and a long list of comments.

I’m interested in the ways I may be subconsciously (or consciously) manipulating my personal identity, as Wood and Smith describe in chapter 3.

I think there is a definite impression I’m trying to create for my profile’s viewers. My song choice, for example, is from my favorite band, so it’s not surprising, but I’d never think about putting some of the more popular music I enjoy in its place. My music snobbery is also present in my interests section. My list is almost all punk bands, with Bon Jovi and Johnny Cash thrown in for good measure. This list is far from comprehensive, however. When I’m riding in my girlfriend’s car and she puts in a Kelly Clarkson CD, I don’t exactly complain. I’d never put that I like her on my profile. (even admitting it here is a little difficult). I may enjoy her music, but I don’t want my friends to know about it. Ironic that it’s the people that know me best that I wish to hide this from. My profile is set to private, mostly to cut down on the spam I receive, so they are the only ones who will see it.

The elements of my profile combine to create a persona that, while it does represent a part of me, is far from comprehensive. It’s an interesting dichotomy, baby pictures versus punk music and photos of me partying with my friends. It’s a little embarrassing to realize, but my profile makes me look like a new father desperately trying to cling to his younger, less responsible days.

If I can inadvertently create a profile that conveys this type of impression, imagine the degree to which someone could purposefully distort their identity. I could remove all the baby pictures from my profile and change my children status back to none. We all have friends we rarely see in real life for whom the only updates on our lives come through myspace or facebook. If I had never updated my status or added the baby pictures in the first place, it would be as though my daughter never existed. It’s scary to think about, but I could probably maintain this façade indefinitely.

The Brad Paisley video I watched for last week’s assignment was intended to be funny, but it really wasn’t that far from the truth. It actually wouldn’t take much effort to create a myspace page that painted me as a very different person. It’s important to remember to take CMC with a grain of salt, there is no telling what kind of alterations the person you’re communicating with may have been able to make. Nobody is completely who they appear to be online.

Brad Paisley and The "Online" Persona

The main character of the video for Brad Paisley’s “Online” is a pizza delivery boy who lives in his parents’ basement and concocts an elaborate online persona that is almost completely antithetical to himself. His online identity is tall, handsome, rich, drives a fancy car, models for GQ, and is completely comfortable with women in a way that pizza boy is obviously not (judging by his inability to interact with his female neighbor until the end of the video).

It’s a bit of a cliché in the internet age but, like many clichés, it is based on truth. Personally, I know a guy who has a completely different personality online than he does in reality. He definitely represents himself differently in cyberspace. I think everyone does it to some degree. What overweight person hasn’t described themselves as “average” on a website? How many people exaggerate their education level or job position on myspace, or purposefully select photos that make them look their best while discarding those that do not portray them favorably? How many people on personals sites have years-old pictures of themselves instead of current ones? Practically everyone fibs a little when it comes to representing themselves online.

It’s no wonder this occurs. Given a chance to describe ourselves in any way we wish, in an anonymous, consequence-free environment, the temptation to lie is just too great. Much like movies or television can give a biased view of an issue by accentuating one side while downplaying the other, we can promote our positive features (or invent new ones entirely) while completely omitting our faults.

There are those who take this to extremes, like middle-aged men pretending to be teenage boys so they can chat with middle-aged men pretending to be teenage girls. The Dateline NBC “To Catch a Predator” reports are another enlightening example. Many of the men they catch soliciting sex from underage girls are semi-respectable members of society. It’s doubtful that many of these men would risk acting on their inappropriate thoughts were it not for the anonymity provided by the internet. The risk would be far too great.

Not all examples are this extreme, of course. Our pizza boy protagonist is simply trying to reach out to a world that he feels cut off from. Our celebrity-obsessed, beauty-conscious culture has created an expectation of attractiveness that he feels he cannot live up to and he consequently has almost no self-esteem. So, he creates what he feels is the ideal man and acts within that persona on the internet. It’s no more than a fantasy, he cannot possibly hope to meet any of his online friends in real life and have them accept him, especially when he’s based their relationship entirely on deception.

At least for him the ending is a happy one. He seems to realize the folly and pointless nature of his online façade and instead decides to take his life into his own hands and take a chance on the girl next door. Though, honestly, it amazes me that he even had trouble with women in the first place. His father is William Shatner, after all.

The ending in the video is a happy one, though the lyrics make no allusion to his realization. It’s ironic that a song about misrepresenting oneself online has to be subtly altered in order to achieve larger acceptance when translated to a visual medium. I seriously doubt that kind of meta-fictional meaning was intended by the video’s director, but it does give us something to think about…

The Longest 24 Hours of my Life.

I have to admit, I knew from the beginning that avoiding the internet for a full 24 hours was not going to be an easy task for me. No Myspace? No Email? No checking multiple times a day for electronics deals on Slickdeals.net? I started to realize just how much I am online and how much it has become an indispensable part of my daily life. Then I got really worried.

So, at 9 am, I had to stop myself from turning on my computer to jump on and check out news sites and logging onto myspace. I couldn't check the message boards for my online classes, which was a little disconcerting. I was sure that some major change would come down or that one of the assignments I'd already turned in would turn out to be horribly wrong and my lack of response would lead the instructor to conclude that I didn't care and fail me instantly. This, of course, got me thinking about other things I would be unable to do without the internet. I realized that I had yet to look up the proper technique for clearing a choking infant's airway, and had no way to do so without going online. I had been meaning to do it for awhile, but never got around to it. When the internet is always there, I just assume I'll be able to get information while I'm doing something else. It's not like I thought I'd have enough time to look it up in the event she actually started choking, it's just something I never thought about until I couldn't get to it. Ultimately, I found it in a book.

I'm old enough to remember the time before I had access to practically any kind of information I could possibly imagine on the internet. Before wikipedia, I had to look things up in Encyclopedia Britannica and find books using a card catalog. Taking a day off from the internet really helped me appreciate how far we've come and just how lucky we are to have this technology we take for granted.

After my daughter went down for her nap, I found myself bored. Normally, I’d jump online and browse or check email or post on a class messageboard, but I couldn’t. I just got a new Xbox game, so I decided to spend some time playing it. Even this simple task changed without the internet. First, I had to unplug my router to keep my console from automatically connecting to Xbox live. Second, I realized that I’d have to be content with the offline component of a game I had purchased mainly to play online. Then, after playing for awhile, I was unsure about one of the game’s features. I put my controller down and headed for my computer to look up more info on it, then stopped myself. It’s amazing that my first reaction when I need information is to head for the internet.

As far as my ability to communicate, just let me say thank God for text messaging. If I’d had to give both texting and the internet up on the same day, I know I would have felt like some kind of mountain man, completely isolated from the outside world. I was totally cut off from my classes and the friends I communicate with through Myspace, but at least I could still talk to my immediate social group.

Ultimately, I realized just how much time I spend every day doing something internet-related. I also checked out the single-player component of my new game, something I probably would have overlooked otherwise. I learned what to do with a choking infant and got halfway through a novel I started during the term break and thought I’d never have time to finish now that classes have started again. I also gained a new-found appreciation of just how much of my life is wrapped up in the internet, and how much it has changed in the last ten years because of it.